Seekers Past
by kaileytmarie
Summary: Deception. Pain. Regret. Is this not what life as a Decepticon is made of? But what happens when the pain in one's spark will not go away? Why do regrets turn to dreams, dreams to living nightmares? What if those you thought were dead had been waiting for you to return? And why does Shockwave seem to know what's going on? Set after Deadlock.
1. It Should Have Been Me

**Here's my attempt at something more than a oneshot. We'll see how this goes.**

**I own nothing. Well... I own the idea, but that doesn't really cound.**

* * *

_It should have been me._

Starscream's optics were glued to the ground, watching the blue glow of energon peek through the rubble of Kaon. He had been following Shockwave since their escape pod had crashed. He wasn't sure how long ago that was or where it had even landed. He felt numb.

Gone. Megatron was gone.

For the first time in eons Starscream had experienced the feeling of true loyalty to his master. A feeling that had long wavered since his rise through the Decepticon ranks. And now, the Cybertronian who had made the Air Commander all he was, was gone. Dead. Just like that.

Starscream rubbed absentmindedly at his spark chamber.

_It should have been me._

His gait slowed and he fell farther behind the Decepticon scientist.

For almost as long as he could remember Starscream had sought ways to seize control of or exterminate the warlord. All of his plans had failed. Of course, deep down, he always knew they would. He cared more for his own well-being than for that of anyone else, but if he were truly honest, he had always admired his leader. He had, from the very beginning, wished to please the mighty Megatron.

He remembered the days when Megatron had shown true pleasure at his victories.

He remembered the look of gratitude in those crimson optics when Starscream had once saved him from a collapsing structure.

Of course he had wanted to take Megatron's place, but he equally, if not the tiniest fraction more, wanted to see pride in his master's optics when he entered the room.

But that wouldn't happen.

Megatron was gone.

Starscream stopped, rubbing the Decepticon insignia on his chest plate. He stared up at the towering statue of his deceased leader. It was worn, cracked, from the great wars. Smoke had blackened it in parts.

He could feel his optics widening sorrowfully. He was lost.

"Starscream?"

The seeker glanced at the scientist, back to the statue, dropped his wings.

_It should have been me._

After all the blunders, schemes, treacheries... How could he still be alive while Megatron, the gladiator who cheated death, was reduced to a lump of molten metal? A pile of charred scrap. And killed by the Autobot scout, no less!

"Master..." he whispered, not knowing what to do.

He could hear Shockwave's footfalls approaching.

_I said I would avenge you, master, and I meant it with all my spark._

"Starscream." Shockwave's servo rested lightly on his shoulder. "We must keep moving. My lab isn't far." His voice was gentler than usual. Starscream wondered if he suffered from their loss as well. Of course, emotion wouldn't be logical, would it?

The Flier shrugged off Shockwave's servo and groaned. He meant it to be a growl, but he was too numb to put enough force into it. He lowered his optics to the ground again.

He should have been accompanying Megatron through Kaon, parading their victory with the head of Optimus Prime displayed as a trophy. Yet here he was, blindly following the scientist he had learned to hate on a road to a lab he had long avoided.

Gone. Lost.

He was confused. He rubbed more vigorously at his spark.

Shockwave stared intently at the seeker's chest plating for a moment, then continued walking.

It would have been faster in their alt modes, but Starscream had already expressed his uncharacteristic disinterest in flying by merely standing as a statue while Shockwave tried to convince him of the logic behind traveling quickly to a safe, shielded place as opposed to being caught casually strolling through the streets by the Autobots. Naturally, the cyclops hadn't used those exact words, but Starscream had already concluded the particular error in judgment from their landing. He just didn't care.

_Soundwave probably gave his life trying to defend Megatron. And here I am, cursed to spend who knows how long with the very one who restrained me from doing the same._

_It should have been me._

He curled his claws into a fist, eyeing the back of Shockwave's head, and followed.

It occurred to Starscream that as many times as he had failed his master, Shockwave had been praised for accomplishing even the most minute of tasks. And the one time Starscream could prove his loyalty and usefulness, that same mech had dragged him away, calling him a fool and telling him to save himself. It made him sick.

Starscream had failed again, but this time it had been Shockwave's fault and not his own.

He considered extinguishing the scientist. He rubbed his chest instead.

He noticed Shockwave glance over his shoulder at the movement and all at once Starscream realized what he was doing.

His spark felt... odd. He wondered if it was from the shock he was suffering or something else. It seemed to spike. Pain shot through his body, causing him to wince, and dissipated into the dull numbness he had quickly come to expect. He rubbed harder, trying to sooth the growing pulse.

Shockwave seemed to be quite interested in his actions.

Where was Knockout when he needed him?

"I suggest we get to my lab as quickly as possible."

Starscream glared at him.

"So that I may examine you for damage," the mech explained.

"You're no doctor, Shockwave." Starscream's voice was tired, thin.

Another spike. More pain.

He pushed himself to walk again.

"Do you suppose Knockout is still online?" he asked, not really caring, but attempting to ignore the throbbing in his spark.

Shockwave seemed to catch on. "It is likely. After all, death would mean the abrasion of his lustrous finish."

Starscream froze. "Did you just make a joke?"

"Indeed."

He shook his head and kept walking. Surely Shockwave did not intend to attempt humor as a means of distracting the Seeker from his current distress! But what if he did?

_It really should have been me._


	2. Rememberance

"_Screamer..."_

_The voice echoed through the rubble of the fallen structure. Starscream's optics flickered to life. He groaned, rolled to his back. His wings ached.  
"Screamer?"_

_The voice called again. This time closer. _

_Starscream struggled to push himself up. Hot pain flashed through his body. He groaned again. He tried to speak, coughed, tried again. "Skywarp?" His voice came out weak._

_The air exploded with an agonizing screech._

_"Skywarp?"_

_No answer._

_Pain. He clawed at his spark chamber. _

_"Skywarp!" He pushed at the metal beam pinning him to the ground. Slashed at it with his claws. "Skywarp?!" His spark burned. He was dying. Starscream was dying._

_No._

_Skywarp..._

_"Skywarp, answer me!"_

_Nothing._

_The pain subdued him. His world faded to black._

* * *

"Starscream."

The seeker moaned and rolled to his side, turning his back to the intruder.

"Starscream."

"Go away, Shockwave."

A pause.

Starscream listened to the cyclops' heavy footsteps move toward the door. He stopped. Starscream thought he could feel the stare of the expressionless optic on the back of his helm.

Shockwave left. And Starscream was alone once more.

He pushed himself up and stared at the sealed door. He had spent days in this little hole. It was a closet, really. Shockwave had once used this area for energon storage. Now, other than Starscream's berth, it was empty. Starscream sighed.

Memories of his time in Shockwave's lab flooded his processor. Yes, once upon a time he and the scientist had gotten along quite well. Starscream was the eager young Seeker who had an interest in Decepticon science and Shockwave was the teacher who certainly didn't mind sharing his knowledge.

Skywarp and Thundercracker hated having to listen to the droning lectures all day.

Starscream placed a servo over his chest. He glanced down at his scarred torso. He had all but clawed off the Decepticon insignia in his attempt to relieve himself of the burning pain. The area was sore and throbbing. Like in his dream of Skywarp.

* * *

_Skywarp..._

_Small streams of light cut through the darkness, bouncing off the Seeker's dusty armor. The weight of the beam lifted from his chest. He tried to sit up, but fell back with a thud._

_"Starscream?"_

_Starscream stared blankly at his blue look-alike. He could still feel the ache._

_ Skywarp..._

_"Starscream, we hafta get outta here. Can ya move?" The sky erupted with fire behind them. A suicide bomber had hit his mark. _

_Starscream stumbled to his feet, following his Trine mate's lead. Thundercracker was alive, but Skywarp..._

* * *

Starscream walked down one of the many empty corridors, lost in his thoughts. It was the first time he had left his hole since the two Decepticons had reached Shockwave's laboratory. Their signals were cloaked as long as they stayed in the building. Shockwave would rectify that soon enough.

Starscream could feel his wings twitch at the thought of being stuck; grounded in a confined space. He hated his claustrophobia.

Why else would he so adamantly deny Shockwave's oh-so logical proposal of a stasis pod while he figured out what was wrong with the Seeker's spark? True, it would be a great distraction from his constant turmoil, but the thought of being locked in such a small place with no means of escape, conscious or not, was enough to send him into a frenzy! Of course, he would never admit it.

His footsteps echoed through the hall. Eery.

He stopped mid-stride. At the end of the passage lay a mess of dilapidated building. One might think this wall had collapsed after long eons without repairs. One might consider it a result of one of Shockwave's experiments. Starscream knew the truth. Amidst the dust, rust and ruble there lay a single, massive support beam. Charred from the explosion which caused it to fall, scraped from the servos that so desperately tried to cut through it.

Starscream froze.

He remembered the battle. Like his dreams, he remembered every terrible detail.

The Autobots had grown strong at the time. Strong and foolish. They thought they could take Kaon and end the war. Just like that. They had not counted on the hidden defenses Megatron had set up for such a time. Nor had they considered the newly promoted Second in Command's Seeker armada to be ready to defend their Capital with their lives.

Starscream had been ordered to oversee the grounders that day. Skywarp and Thundercracker were not pleased with Megatron for separating their Trine. Starscream wasn't all that happy about it either. They annoyed him to no end, yes, but the loyalty of a Trine was deeper and stronger than that of even Soundwave to Megatron. They were connected in a way that could not be explained, only experienced.

He remembered Skywarp's endless complaining of how Megatron didn't know what he was doing. No flier belonged on the ground. Only an idiot would break a Trine. And on and on.

He had scolded his wing mate for saying such treacherous things, but inwardly he had agreed with every word. Surely Megatron knew that breaking the three up would only weaken them. Which in turn would weaken his defenses.

Starscream made his way over to the beam. He rand a servo over the dings and scratches. "Skywarp," he whispered.

A dull thudding noise echoed behind him.

His optics searched the wreckage, stilled at the charred, energon stained stone only twenty paces away. Skywarp had died there. He had been killed while searching for his Trine leader.

It was a loyalty that could not be explained.

He was a fool for leaving his post. He should have stayed with the other Seekers. Then again, Skywarp would do as he saw fit. He was stupid, but loyal... to a fault. Starscream missed him.

* * *

"_Skywarp?"_

_"We gotta move, Starscream! The Autobots'll take us before we know it. C'mon!"_

_Starscream's optics landed on the still form of his wing mate. Skywarp's face was twisted in horror, his chest was blown open and energon gushed out of his body. Starscream's vision blurred._

_ Skywarp was dead. Because of him._

_Anger boiled in his spark. He would find the scum who killed his brother and personally slay him. He caught sight of a red 'bot slipping away from the wreckage and back into the battle. He memorized the frame and face._

_ He would remember this one. He would hunt him down and make him pay._

_Thundercracker pulled at Starscream's arm. "There's nothing we can do here. Let's go!"_

_ Starscream followed. Though he lagged far behind. _

_He never should have listened to Megatron. He should have been with his Trine. He should have convinced his master to at least put Skywarp and Thundercracker on the ground with him. How could he have been such a fool?_

_"STARSCREAM!"_

_White-hot flame erupted before him, peeling his white, red and blue paint from his body. He collapsed, gripping his torso as pain worse than the heat washed over him._

_ He screamed._

_ But it wasn't his scream. It was Thundercracker's. And then there was silence._

* * *

Shockwave watched as the Seeker sifted through the wreckage, clearly reliving the day of his Trine's demise. The scientist allowed himself a moment of pity for the lieutenant, but quickly pushed it aside. Such emotions were illogical. Still...

For a moment Starscream was the shy, brightly colored mecha who had come to adore Shockwave for his knowledge and hungered ravenously for the information stored in his processor.

If Shockwave had a face, he might have considered smiling at the memory.

Starscream's features softened when he came to the charred grave of his fallen brothers. He stiffened, growled.

Shockwave took another step toward the Flier.

"What do you want now?" he hissed.

Shockwave paused. He had gone to Starscream's quarters, ready to drag the mech back to his lab if need be. When he saw that the seeker was gone, he considered what foolish actions his distraught state of mind might lead him to do. However, considering the Seeker's past with this particular edifice, he reasoned that Starscream would eventually make his way to this place.

And he was correct. Naturally.

"Your continual sulking is most illogical. As is your determination to deny your evident need of medical attention. I will no longer put up with your arguing. I have come to take you to my lab for testing and I am fully prepared to immobilize you if need be."

Shockwave clutched a pair of stasis cuffs, ready to spring on his target at the first sign of resistance. Almost to his surprise, Starscream turned and obediently began the trek back to the lab.

Shockwave followed.

* * *

_Starscream soared through the air, breaking the sound barrier. His systems were over heating, but he didn't care. He dove from the sky, plowing his alt form into Megatron with enough force to break through several floors of the tower said mech had been standing on._

_ Starscream transformed and slashed at his leader's face, leaving a long gash at the corner of his mouth._

_He fired missiles at the dazed gladiator, cursing his idiotic orders that had allowed his Trine to perish._

_Megatron righted himself, caught the Seeker's wing and threw him into a wall. He pounced, blade unsheathed, at the Flier's throat._

_ Starscream rolled to the side, barely avoiding the death blow._

_He threw himself at the gladiators back, knocking him off balance, but was caught again in Megatron's grip as he tumbled through the wall and over the edge of the structure. The two fell through the air, clawing, punching, kicking and shooting at each other._

_They hit the ground. Hard. A mass of metal came soon after, burying the two._

_Seconds later they were at it again. Megatron, having a moment to process what had happened, readied himself for the next attack. Paying attention to the Seeker's movement, he dodged and countered with precision. He slammed his fists into Starscream's back, pushing the little mech into his knee joint with a ringing crash._

_Starscream stumbled back, glaring at his master. "You!" he gasped. "They are dead because of you!" He jumped away from Megatron's blade as it cut threw the air. "What kind of idiot divides his strongest Trine?"_

_Megatron lunged at the Seeker, plowing him into the debris of his tower wall. "You dare question my leadership, Starscream?!" _

_"I dare!" Starscream spat, shoving his blaster into Megatron's shoulder and firing. The gladiator just barely rolled away in time. "If I were leader, this never would have happened!"_

_Megatron's optics widened, burning with such rage as to melt right through Starscream's helm. It was the first time he had faced Megatron's full wrath.  
And it certainly wouldn't be the last._

* * *

Shockwave stared a bit too long at Starscream's chassis, making the Flier feel uncomfortable.

"I've never known you to inflict your own injuries directly."

Starscream glanced at the blue liquid bubbling from behind his Decepticon insignia. He hadn't noticed how deep his clawing had become until the scientist pointed it out to him in the hall. He now leaned back on Shockwave's "medical" berth trying to ignore the urge to scratch at his wound.

"And just what do you mean by 'directly', Shockwave?" Of course Starscream knew what he meant and he didn't care to listen to any blunt explanation of his past treacheries, but at the moment he desperately wanted a distraction from the throb in his spark.

Shockwave only stared at him.

"Describe it."

"Describe what?"

"Describe the pain you felt when your Trine mates' sparks were extinguished."

This particular bluntness was neither expected nor welcome as far as Starscream was concerned. He shot the scientist a glare. "What business is that of yours?"  
"You often speak of your Trine while in recharge. I suspect your current quandary, ailment and dreams are related."

"You suspect?" He glowered. "I don't need suspicion, Shockwave. I need answers. You are no physician, but currently you are my only choice as far as medicinal aid goes. So run your tests, fix my spark and let me be, but do not bring my past into this! We are equal in rank, last time I checked. I in no way have to answer to you!"

Shockwave politely paused to consider his argument before giving an answer. "Do you forget that I am the one who created to cortical psychic patch? Surely you would not assume that I do not still have one in my possession."

"Is that a threat?"

"An admonition."

After long minutes of staring the other down, Starscream dropped his wings in submission and laid his head back. "Use the patch," he said quietly. "I cannot bring myself to relive it willingly."

Shockwave immediately went to work.


	3. Regret

**Oh, goodness, guys. Thanks so much for all the kind reviews. Writing stories like this isn't really a talent of mine, so I appreciate all the encouraging words. I've actually had this chapter written for a while, but I didn't want to post it until I had the next chapter done. And I won't post four until five is complete. So.. I really hope you enjoy this story. Thanks again for the reviews! **

* * *

_For the majority of us, the past is a regret, the future an experiment._

It was a quote Starscream had come across during his absence from the Decepticon fold. Though he had never been one to tolerate humans, he had found a certain connection to the words of this Mark something-or-other. His life could be summed up by these fourteen words.

All of his past seemed to equate to one huge regret.

He would be lying if he said he didn't ever consider how nice it would have been to have died early on in the war. But since when did he care whether he told the truth or not?

He regretted not being there for his Trine mates.

He regretted not being more loyal to Megatron.

On some occasions he even regretted not joining the Autobots when he had the chance. When Thundercracker had brought it up.

And now, with Shockwave probing through his mind, forcing him to relive his many failures, again, and the pain of losing his brothers, he knew he was little more than an experiment.

Perhaps not all humans were as foolish as they appeared.

Starscream tried to not pay attention to the scenes in his mind, but he could not help watching the destruction of his blue lookalike replay over and over.

His spark ached. He missed his stupid wing-mates. He missed them more than he would care to confess.

And now Shockwave knew his secret.

It was funny, really. Starscream had never seen the mech so tense. It seemed that the all-knowing scientist was at a loss.

He couldn't comprehend the weight of Starscream's emotions and practically shut down upon entering.

Naturally, he had seen the error of his 'illogical' reaction and continued his searching. With some difficulty, Starscream noticed.

"Have you found whatever you're looking for yet?"

Shockwave wandered through his memories, sifting through the Flier's emotions as carefully as he could. Starscream was unstable as it was. It was best not to cause any further damage.

He remained silent.

Starscream growled. "Can't you at least speed things up a bit?"

Still no answer.

Starscream wondered how difficult it would be to wake and disconnect the patch himself. He was tired of Shockwave's intrusions.

The scientist seemed to be highly interested in something and, fearing the worst, Starscream made his way to the mech's side, hoping to distract him from anything meant to stay a secret.

The energon in his veins froze when he saw what had captured Shockwave's attention.

It was one of his better memories of the co-second. When they had gotten along quite well.

* * *

"_I have heard that Megatron has asked you to be his first lieutenant," Shockwave stated._

_ Starscream had just finished emptying a load of energon into one of the reserve tanks and picked up a data pad. He studied its contents._

"_Is it true?"_

"_Yes."_

"_And will you accept his offer?"_

_ A pause._

_ Starscream's wings dropped a bit. "I'm not sure that I am capable of commanding an entire army."_

_ Shockwave pulled a file up on one of his many screens. He scanned over it for a moment before returning his attention to the chemicals before him. "You seem to do well with your armada."_

"_We seek energon, Shockwave. That hardly qualifies as military operations."_

"_It qualifies more than you think, Starscream." He paused in his work to face the Seeker. "You forget that you are also the guardian of this laboratory. Megatron's greatest weapons are created here. And you were given the honor of protecting them."_

"_I and my Trine."_

_ Starscream could have sworn he saw Shockwave's optic roll just slightly._

"_You shouldn't doubt Megatron's judgment, Starscream."_

"_You're saying I should accept the position and leave this place? Leave all that I know? Leave my Trine?"_

_ Shockwave stood. Looked Starscream in the eye . Spoke sternly. "You are a fool, Seeker." He plucked the data pad from Starscream's servo and left._

_ Starscream gaped. Shockwave never spoken to him in such a way._

_ He ran for the door._

"_I'm not denying him anything, Shockwave!" It took a few nano-kliks to catch up with the scientist. How did one so bulky move so fast? "He told me to think it over and that's precisely what I'm doing."_

"_Illogical." There was a slight hint of annoyance in Shockwave's voice. "There is nothing to consider. You have been offered a great honor, yet you choose to deny it."_

"_I'm not denying anything!"_

"_Yet you do not accept the position." He stopped walking. "Tell me, Starscream, what do you intend to gain from putting this off?"_

_ Starscream dropped his gaze. He could not tell Shockwave the truth. It would ruin his reputation._

"_I suppose if there were any counsel to be trusted," he spoke slowly, "it would be yours, Shockwave. Forgive my lack of understanding on the matter. You are correct. As usual. I will accept Megatron's offer." He lifted his optics to the scientist._

_ Shockwave gave a small nod and continued his trek down the corridor, leaving Starscream behind. He paused just as he was about to enter another room and spoke. "If I were a lesser mech, I might feel obligated to regret losing such a promising student." He stepped through the opening. The door slid shut behind him._

_ Starscream couldn't help the small grin on his faceplate._

* * *

There was an awkwardness about them.

Starscream wanted more than ever to eject Shockwave from his processor. He assumed the scientist knew this as he was quick to get on with his work.

Did Shockwave find the whole situation awkward as well?

The grounder walked around, inspecting each memory with diligence. He seemed to be purposefully keeping his attention off of any other thoughts including himself.

Again he paused. Watched.

* * *

"_Aww, come on, Screamer," Skywarp whined. "What makes you think you're commander material anyway?"_

"_Don't call me that," Starscream growled. He made eye contact with Thundercracker. He could use help making the black and purple mech understand._

_ Thundercracker took the hint. "Leave him alone, Warp. This is a great honor. You should be happy for him. 'Sides, if Megatron thinks our Starscream's got what it takes, then you better believe he's got what it takes."_

_ And that was why Thundercracker was Starscream's favorite._

_ Skywarp was pouting. "I guess so." He leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Well, at least you'll have us to help keep an optic on the big M."_

_ Starscream shifted uneasily. "Hmm. Yes. About that."_

_ His brothers gawked. "You're leaving us?"_

"_Oh, don't be so dramatic." He transformed and took to the sky. Seconds later, Thundercracker and Skywarp had fallen in behind him in perfect formation. His comm link clicked to life._

"_Who does Megatron think he is!?" Skywarp shrieked. "He has no right to separate us! He has no REASON to either!"_

_ Starscream groaned. "Skywarp, Megatron is our leader. He has every right to do whatever he wants. You would do well to remember your place."_

"_Ugh!" Skywarp disappeared._

"_Skywarp! Return to formation!"_

_ Thundercracker flew to Starscream's side. "Let him go, Scream. He just needs to cool off."_

"_Questioning authority will get him scrapped, Thundercracker."_

_ Silence._

"_So, you're really gonna leave us?"_

_ Starscream vented. "I leave tomorrow, actually. You'll have to take care of Skywarp by yourself for a while."_

"_Just doesn't seem right to split a Trine. We're strongest together."_

"_You think I don't know that?" Starscream spat._

"_You think you're ready?"_

_ Starscream paused to think. "Shockwave believes I'm capable," he muttered._

"_Oh, sure! If Shockey says it, it must be true!" Skywarp was behind him again. "Don't bother asking your Trine for their opinion! You just blindly take the word of the emotionless grounder drone!"_

_ A flash and he was gone again._

_ Thundercracker sighed. "Don't listen to him, Starscream. Y'know we're behind you all the way." He fell back to his place in formation, Skywarp appearing beside him. "'Course, it would've been nice to've had a say in all this," he mumbled._

_ Starscream could feel his wing-mates pouting._

* * *

Regret. It washed over the silver Seeker. He never should have left his Trine. He should have requested that they be allowed to stay with him at all times.

They were the best. They never should have been separated!

Shockwave had found another scene. Starscream walked to his side once more. There was something oddly comforting about sharing his past with one so intent on listening and learning. Even if it was Shockwave.

* * *

_ The two sat in silence as the medic welded the last of Starscream's many gashes closed. The scientist was clearly annoyed with his protege's rash actions, but Starscream figured he would hear more about that when they were alone._

_ As if on cue, the medic packed his things and left without a word._

_ Not many could handle being under the constant stare of Shockwave's unblinking optic for very long. It was somewhat humorous to see the medic squirm as he did._

"_You were a fool to attack Megatron."_

_ And there it was._

"_My Trine is dead, Shockwave. Do I have no right to grieve my loss?"_

"_The deaths of Skywarp and Thundercracker are irrelevant. I speak of-"_

"_Irrelevant?" Starscream jumped to his pedes, talons clenched into fists. "They were my Trine, you insolent halfwit! You think you're so intelligent, so high above the rest of us, because you're void of emotion? You are an idiot!" He hissed. "You should be dismantled and used for spare parts!" He thrust his fist into the cyclops' optic._

_ Shockwave stumbled back, righted himself, caught the next blow with his left hand. "Your behavior is illogical, Starscream. Try to reason-"_

_ The seeker lunged._

_ For the second time that day he was clawing at one of his own kind. One of his fellow Decepticons. One he had once looked to as a mentor, a friend._

_ And the sense of power over his victim was overwhelming, invigorating._

_ Shockwave still held his right arm tightly, but a few deliberate slashes from the seeker's claws and the scientist's arm popped right off._

_ Fresh energon spilled from Shockwave's wound. He punched Starscream away with his remaining servo before attempting to stop the leaking._

_ Starscream aimed a missile at his mentor's head and smiled coldly. "Tell me, Shockwave. How illogical would it be for me to end your miserable existence right now?"_

_ Pain suddenly ripped through Starscream's body. He fell to his knees, vaguely aware of the towering, green Seeker, Skyquake, stepping around him with a prod._

_ Everything went black._

* * *

"I, uh... I had forgotten about that."

Shockwave glanced at the canon that had once been his left servo. "I have not."

Starscream started to respond but was abruptly cut short by an eruption of excruciating pain.

He cried out, fell to his knees. His mind shook, his thoughts faded. Even Shockwave seemed taken aback by the sudden frailty of this reality.

Next thing Starscream knew, he was waking up on the berth in the grounder's lab.

Shockwave was holding his end of the patch, examining it with curiosity.

"I hope you found what you needed in there," the Seeker mumbled. He had already resumed his habitual rubbing of his spark chamber. "I have no intention of going through that again."

Shockwave's optic rested on Starscream's arm. Clearly he was deep in thought.

Starscream followed his gaze to his end of the cord resting gently over his servo.

Odd. He didn't recall detaching himself from the patch. He wasn't even sure he was capable of doing so while forced into stasis.

But certainly Shockwave would not have just left it there. There seemed no gain, no advantage, no motivation. Whether logical or illogical.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to ask. At least it might deviate some unwanted attention.

Starscream could only imagine what the mad scientist might do if that last memory had reawakened any old grudge over the loss of his arm.

"I believe this is yours." Perhaps questioning wouldn't be the wisest choice.

He held the cord out, watching for any sign of aggression.

Shockwave took it, eyed it. There was a suspicious glint in his optic. He glanced back at the seeker.

"I didn't do it."

A pause.

"Then... Who-"

"That'd be me, Shockey."

That voice. Memories flooded Starscream's processor once more. Friendships, happiness, games, victories, dreams. Also, enemies, despair, punishments, failures, regrets.

His spark ached, jolted.

He felt as though he were dying. Yet he was filled with life. Intoxicating, beautiful life!

He dared not turn around, for fear he might wake from yet another dream.

His servos trembled as he breathed the name.

"Skywarp?"


	4. Reunion

**Okay, so I know I said I wouldn't post chapter four until five was done, but I've gone to see Mr. Peabody and Sherman twice and my mind is on them right now. It will be a while before I finish chapter five of Seekers Past, so I thought I'd just go ahead and post this chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

"How?"

Skywarp hauled Starscream off the berth in a tight hug. "Did ya miss me, Screamer?"

Starscream could barely speak. He had watched his Trine mates die, felt their very sparks be extinguished. How could Skywarp be alive?

But he was alive. And that was what mattered, right?

"Skywarp!" Starscream laughed jubilantly. "Skywarp, you're alive!" He wiggled around and wrapped his arms around his brother. "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"Touching."

Starscream jumped. He had forgotten about Shockwave. He pushed himself away from Skywarp, clearing his vocalizer awkwardly.

Shockwave stared at the Seekers, noting the almost pleading look in Starscream's optics. "I will leave you two to your reunion."

"Screamer! Where've you been?" Skywarp yelled in excitement.

"Where have I been?" The Seeker shouted back. "Where have you been? All this time I thought you were dead!" His words took an angry tone. "Why haven't you contacted me?"

Skywarp looked confused. "Dead? But... But I thought you..." he trailed off, extreme sadness dimming his optics.

Starscream looked at his pedes, racking his mind for the words to say. It had been a very long time since he had genuinely felt the need to console someone. He wasn't sure he knew how to do so anymore. "I... What happened, Skywarp?"

* * *

_Pain. Excruciating pain. White hot and spreading slowly through his frame._

_ Skywarp tried to stand._

_ "Star-" He gasped as another jolt tore through his armor. Something had fallen on him. Something had exploded._

_ His world went black._

_ When he onlined his optics again, everyone was gone. He stood on a dead planet. Alone. Completely alone._

_ "Starscream?" he called, listening to his voice echo in the stillness. "Thundercracker?"_

_ Nothing._

_ He felt his wings tremble, tried to still them. His spark felt different. Hollow. _

_ "Starscream!? Thundercracker!? Answer me!" His voice was desperate, pleading. "Please," he begged. "Don't leave me."_

_ Skywarp fell to his knees, shaking violently. A cold wind blew over his frame. It whistled through the rubble. _

_ Skywarp curled in on himself. "I don't want to be alone," he whispered._

_ He sat there, for what seemed like ages, willing himself to wake up from this nightmare. The silence was screaming at him, mocking him._

_ Skywarp couldn't feel his brothers' bond. They were dead. They had left him._

_ Anger boiled the energon in his veins. He shrieked into the emptiness; a cry of pure despair from the darkest depths of a broken spark. He transformed, soared into the sky, allowed his body to drop in a free fall._

_ If his brothers were dead, if he truly was alone, then what was the point to living? _

_ He dropped. The ground getting closer and closer._

_ "Screamer. TC," he whispered._

_ Suddenly, the purple and black Seeker pulled up. He flew high, transformed to bi-pedal and dropped to perch on one of the few roofs still in tact. _

_ What if his brothers weren't dead? What if they were just really, really far away? Or shielded! They could be shielded, right? To keep him from feeling their bond. It could happen... maybe._

_ Skywarp tried to connect to his Trine's bond, but only felt a dull ache in his spark._

_ "They gotta be alive. They just gotta."_

_ He dropped again, feeling the air slice around his wings. If Starscream and Thundercracker were still alive, they would come back for him._

_ "They are alive," he said, determined. "They are coming back for me. I just gotta wait."_

* * *

"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for you, Starscream?" Skywarp spoke in little more than a whisper. Anger. Fear. Depression. They had stolen the Seeker's voice.

Starscream stared at his pedes. "I..."

Skywarp lunged at his brother, talons poised. He knocked Starscream off balance. They crashed into Shockwave's desk, spreading his tools across the floor.

Starscream yelped, twisting and turning in an attempt to escape his brother's grasp. What had gotten into him? Skywarp was an idiot with a temper, but he would never just fly off the handle at Starscream without good cause.

But was there good cause? Starscream thought Skywarp was dead, yet here he was. Alive. And Starscream had never come back for him.

New rage bubbled within the Seeker. His optics flashed as he managed to kick Skywarp off of him. He sprang to his pedes and lashed out at his brother.

He caught Skywarp's left wing, spun and threw him across the room. Then he screamed.

All his past regrets, all the pain of every beating he had received from Megatron, the scars of every battle, the slicing pain of every emergency surgery, the wounding of his pride, the loss of his Trine, every blunder, every failure. It all came out in that one, long, spark wrenching shriek.

Finally, Starscream dropped his wings. He hung his helm, optics shuttered. He knew Skywarp had approached him. He knew his brother's claws were aimed at his spark chamber. He just didn't care.

He had failed. He failed his Trine. He failed his master. He failed his planet. But most of all, he failed Skywarp. So Starscream stood, optics shut, waiting for the stab of death to mix with the pain of his spark.

He was useless. Pathetic.

A sudden weight fell on the silver Seeker, knocking him to the floor. It crumpled atop him, trembling.

Starscream onlined his optics as he sat up. Skywarp had fallen on him, zapped of his strength by grief.

He had tried to forget about his Trine, but bonds so strong could not so easily be disregarded. He had often tried to convince himself that their demise was truly at the hand of Megatron. Yet, as Trine leader, he always took responsibility. He should have stayed with them. He should have protected them.

Now, as he looked at the top of his brother's helm, felt his quivering frame against his own, he felt an odd mixture of guilt and relief. Skywarp was alive!

Starscream had tried to remember himself as the biggest of them, though he new that title belonged to his still-lost brother, Thundercracker.

Actually, to any other Cybertronian, the three Seekers would have looked identical. It was the small details that made them different.

Thundercracker had been tallest and bulkiest, though all three were considered to be quite lithe. He was mostly blue with silver face and chest and black at the joints. His optics were a darker shade of red than the others.

Skywarp's height and width were in-between that of his Trine mates. The crest atop his helm, tallest of the three, was a striking purple, as were his joints. The purple wouldn't have been so special, in Starscream's opinion, had it not been so dramatically contrasted with the stark black that covered most of his body. His face and chest were the same silver as his Trine.

Starscream looked over his brother. He bore no scars from the war or his tragic "death." Only the dings and scratches of one who had spent countless years alone, foraging for energon scraps.

Starscream pushed himself forward, leaning into his brother. He hadn't had a Trine to take care of in so long. He didn't remember what it was like to put one's self aside for the sake of someone else. But in that moment, Starscream imagined he could still feel his Trine's sparks pulsing in time with his own.

He imagined he was still capable of caring for his brother the way he once had.

He swallowed his pride and wrapped his arms around Skywarp. He pulled his wing mate closer, wishing he could still speak in a way that would sooth a hurting spark.

Skywarp shook harder, clutching Starscream to himself. If this was just another dream, he didn't want to wake up. It felt so real. And Starscream had come back for him. He finally came back!

Starscream's spark jolted in excitement, seethed in pain. Back and forth, back and forth. He though he might go find an Autobot to gut just to release the frustration.

He held Skywarp firmly. He willed himself to remember. What was Trine? What had it once meant to him? Had he fallen too far to experience it again?

And why did his spark still ache so?

"Screamer?" Skywarp whispered.

Starscream smiled down at his brother. "I know." But did he really?

Skywarp tentatively sat back. Optics shifting, not wanting to look at his Trine leader.

Starscream placed a servo gently on the teleporter's shoulder. "Skywarp."

A pause.

Their optics met.

"Yeah, Screamer?"

"Don't call me that."

Wide smiles split both faces and the long separated brothers embraced once more. Though, once hidden, Starscream's smile faltered. He understood what was wrong with his spark. He knew what had caused the throbbing, shooting pains.

Skywarp, his Trine mate, was sitting beside him on the floor and no matter how hard Starscream tried, he could not feel his brother's spark.


	5. Secrets

Acid rain was an annoying phenomenon. It ate at one's armor slowly, delicately. You almost didn't know it was happening until you started leaking energon. And once you did start leaking, there was little hope for survival. The damage inflicted by a simple shower was severe.

However, if a Cybertronian needed something extracted from the planet's plating and had no immediate access to a drill, it could certainly come in handy. Even now it was loosening the binding which held the Predacon fossil in place.

"I don't like this," Skywarp grumbled. He had pressed himself as far against the wall as he could. The ledge the Seekers took shelter under was quite big enough for them to move about without fear of being hit by the rain, but Skywarp wasn't taking any chances.

"We shouldn't be out here," he went on. "My wings are twitchin' and my audials are buzzin' from all the noise." A piece of the ledge sizzled and fell to the ground, causing Skywarp to yelp and unceremoniously jump back into his wing mate.

Starscream smirked, giving his brother a shove. Skywarp had always shirked away from the idea of being outside if even the possibility of a storm existed.

"Why do we even need the bone? Didn't Shockwave save any of the last one he cloned?"

"Stop complaining."

Skywarp crossed his arms and huffed. "I'd rather be getting my servos scratched up digging the stupid thing out than just standing here, waiting."

"Well, then," the silver Seeker purred, "go out there and hurry the process along."

Skywarp's optics widened. "Are you insane?! There's no way I'm going out in that!"

"Then just sit back and enjoy the free labor."

The purple and black mech dropped to the ground, cross legged. He rested his head in his servo and glared at nothing in-particular.

"Honestly, Skywarp," Starscream said with a roll of his optics. "Better the rain than you and I having to do all the work," he said taking a seat beside his brother.

"Since when are you so against a little manual labor? Back in the day you'd have had us working till our wings were about to fall off." Skywarp winced as another small chunk of their shelter melted and fell to the ground.

Starscream puffed his chest out, holding his wings higher. "Some labor is completely unnecessary, my dear wing mate. You forget that I was named Megatron's First Lieutenant and Air Commander of the Nemesis. As such, I had drones to do my heavy lifting."

Skywarp wondered if it was possible for a mech to explode from the swelling of his pride.

"So..." he said, drawing out the vowel for a few nanokliks. He clasped his servos together between his legs in an innocent manor. "Being top 'Con made ya lazy, huh?"

Starscream dropped his wings, frame tense, left optic twitching. "No..." he said, mimicking his brother. "Being top 'Con made me understand that superior beings should not have to do inferior work."

Skywarp smiled. "'Laziness does not a better mecha make. Only hard work, cooperation and submission to one's caste will ensure the working of our great society.' Remember that line, Screamer?"

"Don't call me that?" he growled. "Anyway, it's hardly like the caste system."

Skywarp hummed. "Megs was superior and if you crossed him you got beat into scrap. Plus, you just said that the drones were 'inferior' to you. Sounds pretty caste-ish to me."

"Thank you for your input, _Thundercracker_," the Commander hissed, sarcastically.

"I've had time to think about what he said."

"Since when do you think?"

"There was nothing better to do."

"Yes, well, if you had have been on the Nemesis you would have seen the differences between caste and Decepticon ranking and then you might just understand my point."

The teleporter's optics narrowed. "If you'd have come back for me, I might just."

Silence fell. Awkward. Tense.

* * *

Shockwave's servo hovered over the control panel. His thoughts were beginning to slip away from his work. He studied the CNA coding, attempting to refocus on the task at hand. Something bothered him.

Stepping away from the console he mumbled another string of code to himself. He crossed the room to check for any breaches in security.

"Hmm." A single life signature appeared at the edge of the perimeter.

The scientist turned, opening a private comm. "Starscream."

A pause.

"The Autobots are closing in on our position. Retrieve the Predacon bone and meet me at the rendezvous coordinates promptly." He ended the transmission before the Seeker could respond.

Shockwave began the process of eliminating evidence of his experiments, scrubbing mainframes, and covering tracks.

This was his second time to relocate his lab. It was a tedious task which had admittedly been much easier with Starscream and Skywarp to help with the more strenuous and physical aspects.

He paused again.

"Skywarp." The name had woven itself throughout the entirety of his mind. Skywarp's existence brought so many questions to mind. Questions that Shockwave currently had no time to answer. He had his suspicions—really they were more than suspicions—but he had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. Namely the cloning of an entire Predacon army.

Still...

He pulled up every file he could find on the teleporter and saved the data to a drive. There would be time to research on the way to his next laboratory.

* * *

"Who does he think I am?" Starscream spat. "A simpleminded drone, incapable of understanding the urgency of our situation?"

Skywarp rolled his optics, pulling another piece of metal away from the bone. "At least drones can work and talk at the same time," he mumbled quietly.

"I have spent every moment of this war in service to the Decepticon cause! I have lead countless attacks against the Autobots, overseen innumerable mining operations! And what has that one-eyed oaf done?" He looked over his shoulder at Skywarp as if waiting for an answer. When the teleporter opened his mouth to respond, Starscream cut him off. "Nothing! He hid himself away in his lab, playing mad scientist while his comrades' energon was being spilled! And he dares assume I need be reminded to move _promptly_?"

Skywarp smiled to himself when his wing mate turned away again. He watched the silver Seeker stomp his pede in frustration and smirked. Just because Starscream was having a bad day didn't mean Skywarp had to.

* * *

Shockwave poured over the data in his processor as he navigated the war-stricken terrain, equipment stored safely in the cargo space of his chassis.

Skywarp's appearance was bothering him more than he cared to confess. His very existence defied logic. Yet, should he come across the information he required to prove his suspicions, it would be highly probable for not only Skywarp, but other fallen Cybertronians to be resurrected as well.

He only needed a specific answer from Starscream. An answer to a question which, at the moment, logic dictated he refrain from asking.

Shockwave continued his trek around and occasionally through fallen structures. Only a short time ago he had been following these paths without threat of being discovered and taken prisoner. Yet here he was, a rogue on the run.

He found it odd that such simpleminded creatures like the Autobots could pose such a threat to his intellect.

For a brief moment, he wondered if it would not be logical to surrender or switch factions.

A flash of purple light caused him to pause.

Skywarp appeared in the sky above him, dumped a strange liquid over his frame and disappeared with a laugh.

Shockwave transformed, looked down at the pink paint rolling down his limbs. He clenched his fist. "Skywarp," he growled.

* * *

"And furthermore-" Starscream paused in his ranting, taken aback by the silence. "Why have you stopped digging?" He yelled furiously as he spun back around to his brother. Only Skywarp was gone.

"Skywarp?" Starscream gave a quick, visual sweep over the area. No sign of the Autobots. He would have tried comming the teleporter had he known the right frequency.

Trines never used comm links.

He considered his bond. He had not tried to summon his brothers since the day of their demise. He wasn't even sure he still held a bond with Skywarp. He felt so... distant.

"He's probably just run off to get away from the work," Starscream told himself in an attempt to shake off his feelings of uncertainty. "He always was a slacker."

Still, Starscream couldn't help wondering if he could, in fact, still summon his wing mate with a mere thought. It wouldn't hurt to try, would it?

A moment later the Seeker was collapsed and writhing in pain on the cold, hard ground. He curled in on himself, whimpering desperately. He jabbed his talons into his chest, scraping at the metal plating, hoping that whatever pain he inflicted upon himself would be great enough to distract him from the overwhelming blaze within his spark!

Energon began to seep from his wound as the pulsing in his chest rapidly gained speed. He felt as though he were being shredded from the inside out. As if his very spark was being torn into infinitesimal pieces.

The pain overtook him and his world went dark.

* * *

_Skywarp tilted his head in confusion. "I don't get it."_

_ Rolling his optics, Thundercracker let out a heavy sigh. "Ya don't hafta get it to accept it, Warp."_

_ The teleporter didn't seem convinced. Starscream smiled to himself, trying not to let his interest in the conversation be known._

_ "But we're the greatest Trine in all of Cybertron's Air Command! We shouldn't have to play babysitter to some old rust bucket!"_

_ Starscream turned, optics ablaze. "Watch it, Skywarp. That 'old rust bucket' happens to be Prime. You would do well to keep your thoughts to yourself." He returned his attention to the datapad in his servo._

_ Skywarp huffed. "It's not like I'm turning traitor, Screamer. I just think that we should get placed in stations that suit the superiority of our Trine."_

_ "How very humble of you, Skywarp," Starscream muttered, trying to focus on his reading. Of course he agreed with his brother. Being bodyguard to Sentinel Prime had a very lackluster appeal._

_ "Skywarp," Thundercracker began. "Only hard work, cooperation and submission to one's caste will ensure the working of our great society. Just accept your station and move on."_

_ "Don't you ever get tired of singing the same song, TC?" Skywarp's voice got louder. "I mean, maybe that Megatronus guy is right! Maybe the caste system _is_ just a way of enslaving us! Maybe we should stand against the counsel and demand the right to choose our own paths!"_

_ "What are you talking about?" Thundercracker's voice tensed._

_ "Don't pretend you haven't heard, TC. I know you watch the broadcasts. You're not so perfect that you don't stream the Pits when no one's looking."_

_ Thundercracker slapped a servo over his brother's faceplate. "Stuff it, Warp! Someone'll hear!" He released the purple Seeker after a moment. "How'd ya know about that anyway?"_

_ It was Skywarp's turn to roll his optics. "I spy on ya. Duh."_

_ Starscream glanced up from his reading, a smirk settling on his face at Thundercracker's dumbfounded expression. How _Mr. Observant_ had missed their wing mate warping in and out of his quarters on numerous occasions, Starscream did not know._

_ He wondered if he should tell his brothers that he was planning to contact Megatronus should his following increase enough to begin building an army. _

_ He decided to give it a little more time. At the moment, his first priority was Sentinel Prime. He determined that he would memorize the details of their leader's daily routines. Earn his trust. It could come in handy one day._

* * *

"...ream... … … St... … co... in... … … Starscream."

Starscream onlined his optics. He pushed himself up, winced at the shooting pain in his chest.

"Starscream."

Shockwave's tone wasn't quite as bland as usual.

Starscream forced himself to stand, waited for the throbbing to ebb, answered his comm.

"What is it, Shockwave?"

"I assume you are still at the site of the Predacon bone?" He spoke with urgency.

Starscream looked down at the fossil. He reached to pull off the last shard of plating holding it down. One good tug and it was free.

He heaved it onto his back, once again scanning over his surroundings for any sign of his wing mate.

The wing mate whose spark he could not feel.

The wing mate whose bond he no longer shared.

A question sprang to his processor. One he had no intention of asking.

"Shockwave?" He had to ask, though. He needed to know. "What is Skywarp?"

A pause.

"We have much to discuss, Starscream," came the cold reply. A string of coordinates were sent to the Seeker, indicated the place in which they might talk.

Starscream shuddered. He rubbed a servo over his chest. What secrets had the scientist been keeping?

* * *

**I realize the flashback might seem a little out of place, but it's meant to give another glimpse at the closeness of the Seekers. I like the idea of them not always agreeing, but not feeling the need to keep secrets from each other either. **


	6. Stuck

"So this is the Nemesis," he said, smirking inwardly. He transformed and skidded to a halt inside the hanger. "It's bigger than I expected."

A moment later he was peeking his helm through the door and into a hall, glancing in both direction for any sign of the Autobots. When he saw that it was clear he stepped fully into the open. "Wow." His expression fell. "I'd have thought old Meggy would've at least _tried_ to make his ship look like something other than a relic of Kaon." He strolled down the hall, found another corridor to the left, followed it.

After several minutes of aimless wondering he let out an annoyed groan. "Why does everything look the same in here? And would it have killed them to put in better lighting? Talk about sucking the life out of a mech!"

"Who's there?" A shadow appeared at the end of the hall. "Hello?"

Before he could shutter an optic he was hidden behind one of the support beams of the corridor. With his color scheme blending in beautifully with the shadows—maybe the lighting wasn't that bad—he watched as the young Autobot scoped the hallway.

He smiled craftily. Why not have a little fun with the grounder?

* * *

"Bee?" said Smokescreen readying a blaster. "Can you do a sweep over the ship for Decepticon signals. I think one of our prisoners might've gotten loose."

_CLANG!_

He spun around, optics wide and alert.

A single energon cube lay in the middle of the hall. It had a small crack near the bottom, right corner allowing a thin trail of the blue substance to leak into a puddle on the floor.

"Bee?"

"Sorry, Smokescreen. Decepticons are all locked up."

Smokescreen stepped up to the cube. He lifted it cautiously, turned it over in his servos.

"Could be Wheeljack trying to scare you, again."

Smokescreen nodded, though he knew Bumblebee couldn't see him. He swept over the hall again.

No sign of intruders.

_CLANG!_

The blue grounder spun again. "You got a security feed on my position, Bee?" he asked, voice trembling slightly.

Bumblebee chuckled on the other end of the link. "Seriously, Smoke? The Cons are all locked up. Unless the ship is haunted, you've got nothing to worry about."

Silence.

"Smokescreen?"

Smokescreen dropped the cube in his servo, staring in shock. "Just open the feed."

* * *

Bumblebee stared at the image on the screen. His mind was reeling in an attempt to make sense of what he was seeing. He was vaguely aware of the sound of a door sliding open and closed behind him.

"Bumblebee."

The scout jumped at the sound of his name, accompanied by a heavy servo on his right shoulder. He turned to stare up into the wise, blue orbs gazing questioningly at him.

"Is something wrong?" Optimus asked. He turned his attention to the monitor, optics narrowing.

Bumblebee tried not to cringe as his leader's servo tightened its grip on his shoulder. "Smokescreen said he thought someone might be loose on the ship. I scanned for Cons, but everything checked out." He looked back at the image. "Then this happened."

"Out of nowhere?" Bulkhead questioned from behind the Prime.

Bumblebee hadn't even noticed him come it. He decided he must be more disturbed by the situation than he thought if he could miss someone so big so easily.

Bulkhead shook his helm. "I'm gonna go check on the kid."

Optimus nodded, gaze still fixated on the words so crudely drawn out in spilled Dark Energon.

_I still function._

* * *

Skywarp strutted happily from corridor to corridor, teleporting randomly to avoid being caught on security feeds for more than a second. He smiled to himself thinking about how freaked that Smokescreen guy had looked when he saw the message Skywarp had left him.

"Wonder why the energon was purple?" he mumbled to himself. "You'd think old Meggy would've dumped the rancid stuff. If energon can go rancid, anyway…"

It occurred to him that he had no clue, whatsoever, where he was on the Nemesis. But he didn't really care about that. He was just looking for some fun while Starscream worked and wondered where he was.

He laughed quietly. Starscream would be so mad when he got back.

Skywarp turned another corner and stopped. He could see shadows moving up ahead. He warped out of sight and waited.

"Nothing down this sector," said a blue femme, lowering her blaster.

It had been a while since the Seeker had seen a two-wheeler. Or a femme. Or anyone for that matter. A part of him wanted to check to make sure she was real and not just another of his hallucinations.

He waited.

She raised a servo to her helm, activating her comm. "You got anything, Wheeljack?"

A pause. She nodded. "I'll check by the holding cell."

Holding cell? Skywarp tilted his helm in thought. Smokescreen had mentioned something about Decepticon prisoners, right?

One flash of purple later, he was gone.

* * *

Shockwave sidestepped to avoid the Seeker's talons gouging out his spark. He lifted his canon, charged it. He had no intention of firing, but history told him that rage blinded the flier and fear of death was the only viable answer to bringing his mind back to a rational state.

The hum of the weapon pointed at his helm caused the Seeker to pause. He righted himself, wings dropped slightly.

A logical reaction.

"Why on Cybertron would you do such a thing?" he hissed.

Shockwave kept the canon trained on the Seeker. "It sufficed as proper material for my experiments," he stated.

Starscream glowered. "That '_it_' happened to have been my wing mate!"

The scientist watched as Starscream began to circle, observing how the silver mech clenched his servos into fists again and again. He was seething. And, given the customary reaction of lowlier life forms to hearing such news, he found ample reasoning behind the logic of such erratic emotions.

"You could have at least told me sooner!" the Seeker spat, scraping claws across his chestplate.

"Would you have reacted differently?" Shockwave had no means behind the question. He simply knew from experience that venting often helped calm Starscream down.

The Seeker sighed.

Shockwave lowered his canon.

"And just what am I supposed to do now, oh omniscient one?" he asked, rolling his optics. "Pretend that the clone really is a missing member of my Trine?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Accept him with open arms and ignore the pain in my chest as my spark tries to locate a bond that _isn't there_?"

Starscream growled again, stomping a pede on the metal ground. It was a juvenile act, but he really didn't care at the moment.

Shockwave looked down at his arm. Scratched another fleck of paint from his joint. He had chipped almost all of it off before Starscream had come trudging through the dilapidated energon bar with the Predacon fossil on his back. "What do you intend to do, Starscream?"

The Seeker's wings dropped lower. Shockwave watched him carefully.

* * *

"Shiny," Skywarp muttered from his perch on one of the control room's support beams. He didn't think any Cybertronian could look so flawless after suffering through a war. And yet, the red mech on the viewing screen looked almost as if he'd just sprung from the Well. "Wonder why a Con would go for grounder as his alt when flying is so much better?"

He snapped his mouth shut at the sound of the door sliding open and watched the Prime enter the room, followed by the two-wheeler and Smokefreak.

He smiled at the nickname.

"It was weird, Optimus," Smokescreen began. "Like there was someone there, just out of my sight, watching me." He looked over his shoulder, around the room, back to the Prime. "I can't shake it."

Skywarp smirked, leaning farther into the shadows.

The femme's back was to him, though he could tell by the tension in her stance that she was disturbed. "You think Soundwave's found a way out of the Shadowzone?" She crossed her arms. "It would explain the message."

Skywarp raised an optic ridge. Soundwave? Shadowzone? What in the name of the Allspark were these idiots talking about?

"If Soundwave had found a way to escape his imprisonment, Arcee," the Prime's voice rumbled, "his revenge on us all would no doubt be underway. Though it is highly unlikely that his first act would be a mere prank used as a scare tactic." He turned to the monitor, staring intently.

Skywarp still found it hard to believe that a simple archivist had ever made it to the position of Prime. He knew he had missed a lot during his state of… oblivion, but he still couldn't wrap his mind around the red and blue mecha below him.

Optimus' words were strong, steady, and held a natural air of wisdom. He seemed to be confident, courageous and admirable as both leader and warrior. But all Skywarp could see was the insecure, over-emotional librarian from Iacon who was determined to be best buds with a gladiator from the pits of Kaon.

He just didn't get it.

Smokescreen shifted on his pedes. "But if it's not Soundwave, who's on the ship?"

Optimus didn't answer. He simply stared at the monitor. "I was not aware our prisoners were the main focus of security."

Skywarp glanced at the images on the view-screen. The red grounder and the drones were pacing. No cause for alarm. Unless of course the Autobots didn't typically leave that particular video feed on the main screen…

"Oops."

The Prime spun on his heels, firing once at the dark corner of the ceiling. He just barely caught the glimpse of a strange, purple light.

* * *

Starscream was numb. He felt as though his spark had simple ceased to exist.

"I do not believe you fully comprehend the enormity of the situation," Shockwave was saying.

"You cloned my departed brother in order to further your scientific endeavors, wiped his memory banks and left him for scrap. Now the abomination has returned and is feigning the part of Skywarp, causing my spark intolerable discomforts," he growled. "Have I missed anything?" His fingers twitched, begging to release a missal on the one-eyed freak.

"Indeed," Shockwave answered coolly.

He wanted more than anything to blast a hole through the scientist's optic. "Such as?"

Shockwave turned to leave. "The clone was a failed experiment. It never so much as onlined."

"What?"

"You are somewhat familiar with the cloning process, I presume. Since you did preform the procedure on yourself in your absence from the Decepticons." He pulled the Predacon bone onto his back and walked away. Starscream was quick to follow. "Protoform cloning is the simplest method to use, however, there are variables to consider when using a deceased Cybertronian's energon."

They took a moment to scan the area for any sign of the Autobots before venturing out into the open. "Once the spark chamber is emptied of its life-force, the energon within the carcass alters just slightly. At first the protoform will accept the CNA, but it soon reacts to the mutations within the cell structure and turns against itself. When I disposed of my experiment, it was little more than a deformed husk."

Starscream was silent for another few seconds. He was aware of his spark, though it no longer ached within him. He stared at the back of Shockwave's helm as they walked.

After a few more minutes, Shockwave broke the silence. "Do you not find it disconcerting that a lifeless shell could reconstruct itself into a perfect duplication of your former wing mate?" He stopped at the sound of shifting gears and plating. Listened as the roar of an engine rapidly became a distant hum.

Starscream would return soon enough.

* * *

"No," said Skywarp, looking over his surroundings. He teleported again.

"Nuh-uh." Another flash.

He looked up and down the hall. Whined. "Still no."

He tried once more and found himself standing in the middle of yet another empty corridor. "Why does everything look the same?" He growled, "Okay, Skywarp, one more time."

* * *

_ The light hurt his optics. Not because he couldn't handle it, but because he had never been exposed to anything so bright during his time in the Well of Allsparks. _

_ He blocked the sun's rays with a servo. "That's different."_

_ "You!" a voice called from up ahead._

_ He adjusted his optics and looked into the golden face of a large, dark blue mecha. "Um… Yeah?"_

_ The big guy looked him over, scowling. "My designation is Dreadwing. I will be assessing your capabilities and assigning you to your proper caste based on my findings." He leaned over the Sparkling and whispered harshly, "Don't blow it."_

_ The next few joors were filled with the testing of mental, physical, and emotional limitations. The purple and black Sparkling exceled in all three areas._

_ Finally, the day came for caste assignments. Dreadwing approached the group of Newsparks, accompanied by his twin, Skyquake. _

_ He glared at the first Sparkling, a red femme that stood just higher than the flier's waste. "You will now answer to the name Stingshell. You will work as an enforcer of law and order in Iacon." Dreadwing motioned to his brother. "Skyquake will accompany you to your new mentors."_

_ The next bot was a hulking, grey mecha who stared blankly down at his instructor. He had never been very bright, but he was known for his brute strength. _

_ "You will work in the energon mines of Kaon. You will follow orders. You will not ask questions. Your serial code is X-190-D." _

_ Realization flashed in the brute's optics. He tensed, clearly not happy with his assignment, but afraid to argue. He was directed to a doorway in the back of the training room and told to follow the tunnel until he came to a transport tube that would take him to Kaon._

_ Next came the shy mecha who chose to keep to himself most of the time, finding more joy in studying datapads than training with Dreadwing. His shoulders and helm hung low, his optics wide at the dismissal of the Miner._

_ Dreadwing stood before him. If the blue and red mecha would stand straighter, he would just barely reach the flier's height. "Orion Pax." Dreadwing stated. "Iacon. Archivist." _

_ Orion looked up in shock. "Really?" _

_ Dreadwing stared back. "Do you think I would lie, Sparkling?"_

_ Orion shook his helm. "N-no, sir. It's just- Well, I,"_

_ Dreadwing held up a servo, silencing him. "Skyquake will take you to your new mentor, Alpha Trion."_

_ Pax looked shocked._

_ Dreadwing smiled._

_ Last to go was the purple and black Sparkling. His head leveled with Dreadwing's shoulders. He shifted excitedly. If the shy bot got to go to Iacon, he was certain his place in society would be a grand one._

_ "I am a Seeker," Dreadwing started. "I can sense things that not many other Cybertronians can." He paused. Stared hard at the smaller mecha. "Do you know what I sense from you?"_

_ The Sparkling shook his helm._

_ Skyquake entered the room again, smiling. "You are a teleporter," he said, answering his brother's question._

_ "Say what?"_

_ Dreadwing scowled at him. "Indeed, Newspark. Cross the room."_

_ The Sparkling took a step and was immediately dealt a blow from his instructor. "Hey!"_

_ "Not with your legs, idiot!"_

* * *

Purple light surrounded him. His frame trembled as his molecular structure began to break down. It kind of hurt, but he had learned to enjoy this type of pain. His thoughts became erratic for a moment. A very short moment. He felt his body solidify as the light began to vanish.

He would call the entire process excruciatingly painful and annoying if it lasted any longer than a fraction of a second. But it didn't.

Skywarp's vision cleared and he found himself in another of the identical hallways. He stomped a pede on the ground angrily. "Where am I?!"


	7. The Art of Escaping

**Because flashbacks are fun...**

* * *

_ "Congratulations," said the dark blue Seeker as he stepped over the Sparkling's exhausted frame. "It only took you an entire solarcycle to harness your ability. You are now ready to receive your designation and post. Stand up."_

_ The black and purple mech pushed himself to his pedes, vents straining to cool his core. His wings drooped pathetically, but his smile was twisted into an arrogant grin. "Did I beat any records?"_

_ The green Seeker behind him chuckled._

_ Dreadwing glared. "As a matter of fact, you did."_

_ The Sparkling stood up straight. Smugness wafted off of him like the aftershock of a supernova. "Knew it." He stood at attention and waited for his assignment._

_ "Skyquake," Dreadwing started, turning to his twin. "If you would, please contact the others."_

_ Skyquake nodded. He turned his back to them and began speaking into his comm. _

_ A moment later the silence was broken by the sound of doors sliding open. On one end of the room entered a light blue mech and on the other end entered a tri-colored one. Both locked optics with the black and purple Sparkling. Both cautiously made their way to the center of the room, eyeing each other._

_ Dreadwing stepped away from the teleporter and joined his brother at the wall, watching with rapt interest._

_ The three Newsparks stood at a distance from each other, optics shifting nervously. Time passed without a sound or a movement as they studied each other. Other than differing color schemes and slight variations in height, they were all practically identical. Lean bodies, thin legs, exquisite wings, wide and alert optics. They could have been clones._

_ Finally, the tri-colored mech moved. His wings perked up, his back straightened, he held his head high and stepped confidently into the group, closing the gap._

_ Immediately the room was filled with a buzz of electricity causing each of the Newsparks to jump in excitement. They pushed into each other as if trying to meld their own bodies into one single Cybertronian. Their wings twitched enthusiastically as the electric current coursed through them, overwhelming them with its sheer force. One by one they fell to the ground, first purple and black, then blue, and lastly tri-color._

_ They raked their servos over their spark chambers, cackling with delight. And then they felt each other. Heard each other. _

_ Not one spoke and yet each one's thoughts filled the others' minds. Their emotions combined into one collective surge of raw power! And then they lost consciousness. _

_ "Wake up, Newspark," said Skyquake, nudging the purple and black mech. "Your brothers are waiting."_

_ "Brothers?" He stood, tried to shake the tingling in his processor, stumbled._

_ Skyquake steadied him, smiling happily. He led him back into the line where the other Sparklings stood waiting. _

_ "This marks an all too rare occasion," Dreadwing began, addressing the group. "You are aware that myself and Skyquake are twins, split from the same spark. We are each a half of one whole, strongest together, sharing a special bond and, perhaps only by chance, working side by side. Our situation does not occur often, but yours occurs even less so."_

_ The tri-colored mech was listening, though he had a slightly bored expression on his face. Unlike the blue mech who seemed very interested in what his superior had to say. _

_ And then there was the black and purple one. He had quit listening before Dreadwing had even started. These two 'brothers' of his had seemed to notice and had given him both a glower and an intense look of disapproval. But somehow he knew that the others would fill him in on whatever he missed._

_ "You three are split from one spark. Having a twin happens very little, but having a Trine is a rare and precious gift. You are to join the Seekers. You will live together, train together and serve together in Vos. You will each play a significant role in your brothers' lives." _

_ He looked and the teleporter with a sharp glare. "Skywarp. You are spirited, adventurous, and posses the ability of teleportation. Do not abuse your power._

_ To the blue mech: "Thundercracker. You bring stability to your Trine. You are calculated, steadfast and considerate. You have great power, yet you control it with ease."_

_ And finally his attention fell on the tri-colored mech. "You were first to initiate the bonding process. You will be head of your Trine." He gestured to the others, "These are your wings. Protect them. Lead them. You are perhaps the fasted flier I have ever seen or heard of, but you must practice patience in the days to come. You are intelligent and cunning. I have witnessed your manipulation of other Sparklings. You have no struggle making yourself heard."_

_ Dreadwing turned to leave. Paused. Motioned for the Newsparks to follow. _

_ They walked to one of the doors of the training room. It slid open and the new Seekers got their first real look at Cybertronian sky. _

_ Dreadwing pointed to the left. "Starscream. Lead your Trine to Vos. We will follow shortly."_

_ Without a moment's hesitation Starscream transformed and took flight, Thundercracker and Skywarp falling in behind him effortlessly._

_ Skywarp smiled inwardly, hoping that their first flight would be a long one. He was immediately washed in a sense of assurance coming from his Trine. He could sense Starscream trying to tell him something._

I will never stop flying with you.

* * *

"Anything?" Arcee asked over her comm. link.

"Nothing I can see," Bumblebee replied.

"Clear on this end," came Smokescreen's voice.

She let out a frustrated sigh. She was beginning to think that the racers had made the whole thing up just to get a laugh.

She paused, shook her helm.

No. There was no way Bee would pull this kind of a stunt. No matter how bored he was.

Arcee rounded the next corner, coming face to face with the crudely drawn message. The dark energon was beginning to dry on the floor.

_I still function._

It was what the gladiators would say after a victory in the pits. Megatron practically owned it as his trademark before the war started.

She shivered. It had to be Soundwave. He must have found some way to temporarily phase out of the Shadowzone and was trying to cause pandemonium. That was the only explanation. None of the prisoners had escaped, Starscream and Shockwave had gone into hiding and hadn't been heard from, and there was absolutely no way Megatron could have survived the skewering Bumblebee had given him. He _wasn't_ alive.

The two-wheeler read the message again.

_I still function._

Something caught her attention. A slender shadow was cast beside her, revealing a thin arm reaching toward her helm. She spun around, blasters charged and ready, but the only thing she saw was the flash of an eerie, purple light.

* * *

_Starscream was grinning. That typically wasn't a good thing. Especially when Skywarp _wasn't_ around._

_ "What'd he do now?" Thundercracker asked, already feeling a processor ache beginning to form._

_ Starscream stepped past him gleefully. "I'll show you."_

_ Thundercracker sighed. Followed._

_ They had learned rather quickly what Dreadwing had meant by Skywarp being 'spirited and adventurous.' What they hadn't been told about was his insatiable appetite for duping everyone around him. Had Thundercracker been any less patient, he would have allowed Starscream to lock Skywarp in a stasis pod by now. Instead, he would just sit back and watch his Trine leader attempt to out prank the master of mischief. _

_ Thundercracker froze in his tracks. He felt the edges of his mouth begin to curl up in a smile._

_ "TC!" the teleporter cried. "You've gotta get me out of here!"_

_ He covered his mouth with a servo, trying to suppress the laughter building within him. Skywarp's helm, chestplate, right arm and leg were all that was visible of his imprisoned frame. He struggled to free himself, but to no avail._

_ The stasis cuff hanging from his wrist to render his abilities null wasn't helping his case._

_ "You wanna tell me how this happened?" asked the blue flier, looking between his two wing mates._

_ "Screamer's a rust bucket!"_

_ Starscream tsked. "Now, now, Skywarp. No need to be any more offensive than usual. I'm only giving you a taste of your own medicine."_

_ "I hope your wings rust!"_

_ Thundercracker groaned. "Can one of ya just tell me how Warp got stuck in a wall?"_

_ Starscream smirked triumphantly. "Of course, dear Thundercracker. It would be my pleasure to fill you in on the details of our little game."_

_ Skywarp growled. "When I get out of here, I'm gonna-"_

_ "Shall I put a clamp over your face as well, Skywarp?"_

_ The teleporter grew silent._

_ Starscream nodded, turned back to Thundercracker. "It's quite simple, really. He was gloating about his teleportation, saying that he was the strongest of we three, and going on and on about how he could get out of any situation thanks to his 'supreme power and intellect.'"_

_ "And you couldn't swallow your pride for two clicks to let him believe that and move on?" Thundercracker crossed his arms over his chest, grinning at the tri-colored Seeker._

_ Starscream glowered. "No. I couldn't."_

_ Tension rose quickly between the three. Skywarp cast his gaze to the floor. Thundercracker fidgeted with his servos, trying and failing to ignore the icy glare his Trine leader had fixed on him._

_ "So…" Thundercracker started again. "The wall? Um… How'd he get stuck in there?"_

_ Starscream waited another second before continuing. "As I was saying, Skywarp was bragging about his teleportation and told me that he could warp to any location without ever having to have been there before. I told him to prove it by warping to my location when I called for him."_

_ Skywarp pouted. "Scrap heap."_

_ "Shut up, you!" Back to Thundercracker: "He said that he could appear by my side without a single malfunction."_

_ "I didn't know you were gonna stand right up against a wall!"_

_ Starscream sneered at him. "My point exactly, Skywarp. You were being an idiot thinking that you did not need to first have knowledge of a location before attempting a jump. I thought it wise to reveal your error in judgment before you ended up getting yourself hurt."_

_ "You knew I'd follow our bond! You knew I wouldn't have a problem finding you!" Skywarp spat. "You did this on purpose!"_

_ Thundercracker shook his helm again. "So ya got him stuck in a wall to teach him a lesson and then ya slapped a stasis cuff on him to keep him there?"_

_ "Me? Lock my own Trine mate in a state of mild stasis to eliminate the use of his teleportation abilities while his body is entrapped in a wall?" He smiled innocently. "I would never dream of doing such a thing."_

_ With that the tri-colored Seeker turned and strutted away._

_ Thundercracker frowned. "You're gonna get back at him, aren't ya?"_

_ Skywarp's glare twisted into a sadistic grin. "Just get me out of this wall."_

* * *

"Okay. I've been in the control room five times, energon vault six times, almost ran into the two-wheeler twice," Skywarp smirked. She had been seriously freaked out when she saw his shadow reaching for her. "And the Prime almost killed me."

All in all it hadn't been that bad of a day. Sure he was stuck on a former Decepticon warship with no concept of direction while being hunted by Autobots who seemed to think he was some sort of ghost, but at least he had gotten some fun out of it. He thought of how furious Starscream would be when he found out that Skywarp had ditched him just to start some mischief.

"Wish I knew where the holding cell was. If the scout would leave the control room for two clicks I could find out." He warped to another hall, heard the green wrecker approaching, warped back to the energon vault. "I have got to find a way off this boat!" A pause. "And I really need to stop talking to myself."

He heard a crash coming from the floor beneath him. "Hmm."

In less than a second Skywarp was falling from the ceiling to the ground. The impact of his landing made a loud clang causing several Vehicons to look his way. "Hey! The holding cell! I found it!" He backed into the darkness to hide himself from the security camera in the roof.

"Starscream? Is that you?" came a smooth voice from the opposite side of the room.

Skywarp turned to see the shiny grounder staring at him.

"You're not Starscream." He cautiously stepped closer.

Skywarp smirked. "Nope. Sorry to disappoint, red."

"Knock Out."

"Starting a friendship with flattery. Kind of desperate, don't you think?"

The grounder rolled his optics. "My_ name_ is Knock Out."

Skywarp shrugged. "Did I ask what your name was?"

Knock Out glowered. "Who are you and how did you get here?"

"That's classified information."

"Autobot or Decepticon?"

"You make it sound like we're in a war."

The grounder growled. This was too much fun!

"Why do you look like Starscream?!"

Skywarp laughed. "You sure do ask a lot of questions, red."

"Wait a moment!" Knock Out's optics widened with recognition. "You're one of his Trine aren't you?"

Skywarp stared blankly at him.

He closed the distance between them. "But I thought his Trine died at the start of the war."

"Funny how that whole death thing works." Skywarp said, wings twitching. "Guess some of us just can't stay that way."

Knock Out beamed. "So you're either Thundercracker and can knock these walls down with a sonic boom, or you're Skywarp and can teleport us out of our prison!"

"You sure do know a lot about me and TC. Did we make the headlines when we where KIA or something?" He looked around at the Vehicons who were staring at him. Even with the visors he could tell that they were in shock over seeing a corpse up and moving around. He wondered if he had ever met any of them.

"Who cares? Just warp us out of here!"

An idea sparked to life in the Seeker's processor. "I'd love to, red, but see, I can't warp to a place I've never been without knowing the coordinates or at least general idea of the layout of the place. Last time I tried, I got stuck in a wall."

Knock Out scoffed. "Been there. Done that."

Skywarp continued. "I've actually been stuck on this tub for a while because of that. Now, if you could tell me where we are on the ship and about how far I'd have to go to get out-"

"Say no more!" Knock Out nodded toward the back wall.

"So, I warp through that and I'm in the open sky?"

"Open sky, open road. Whatever your preference."

Skywarp smirked. "Thanks, red. Have fun being a prisoner." And with that, he was gone.

Now to find Starscream.

* * *

**So what are we thinking so far? This story is just about ready to wrap up. Then the movie will take place and then... Sequel? Hmm...**


End file.
